Combination bottle and bottle stopper



Oct. 25, 1966 M. GEISS COMBINATION BOTTLE AND BOTTLE STOPPER Filed Aug.20, 1964 United States Patent 3,281 002 COMBINATION BOTTLE AND BOTTLESTOPPER Max Geiss, Habspergstrasse 6, Mullheim, Baden, Germany FiledAug. 20, 1964, Ser. No. 390,824 Claims priority, applicatigg germany,Aug. 22, 1963, 3 Claims. (51. 215-52 For the packing of tablets, pillsor the like, small glass bottles are frequently used which have acomparatively wide neck and a stopper made from flexible plastics or thelike. To obtain sealing-tight closure with the stopper, it is known forthe stopper part which extends into the bottle neck to be substantiallyoval-shaped or have one or more flexible strips arranged in a ring onthat part of the stopper which bears against the inside of the bottleneck.

Although such stoppers generally give sealing-tight closure initially,the stopper will gradually be forced out of the mouth of the bottleunless it is secured in the closed position by external wire or cord,particularly if the stopper is provided with a resilient holder whichprojects into the interior of the bottle, bears against the contents andretains the latter resiliently.

According to the invention, the inside of the bottle neck or mouth isnow formed with a substantially annular recess in the glass Wall suchrecess being so disposed that when the stopper is in the closed positionit engages in said recess resiliently with elastic deformation of itsmaterial. Where an oval-shaped stopper is used which widens out somewhatfrom its lid part adjacen-t the neck of the bottle and then tapers againfrom a certain plane, the annular recess is advantageously so arrangedin the glass wall that when the stopper is in the closed position itsequatorial plane is situated in the region of the annular recess in theglass wall. If the stopper used has flexible strips arranged in a ring,the groove in the inner wall of the neck of the bottle is so arrangedthat the strips, or one such strip, bears by its edge against the topsurface of the annular recess when the stopper is in the closedposition. In either case the stopper so engages in the inner recess ofthe mouth of the bottle as to be reliably retained in the closedposition and removable therefrom only if a perceptible resistance isovercome. The retention of the stopper in the closed position asobtained by the inner annular recess in the neck of the bottle accordingto the invention is very advantageous when the neck of the bottle widensout slightly, as is usually necessary for reasons of production. Withsuch bottles in particular the conventional plastics stoppers tendgradually to work loose and escape from the mouth of the bottle.

The recess provided in the bottle neck is advantageous ly made as acomplete ring although the neck may be formed with a series ofsector-like recesses which functionally complement one another to forman annular recess in which the plastics stopper can engage.

A preferred embodiment of the principle of the invention is illustratedin the drawing, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation in partial section to approximately naturalsize showing a small wide-necked bottle according to the invention witha stopper, and

FIG. 2 is a section on an enlarged scale through the bottle neck and thestopper in the embodiment shown in FIG. 1.

The glass bottle shown in the drawing has a substantially cylindricalbody 1, the top end of which has the slightly drawn-in neck 2. The topend of the neck 2 has an outer edge bead 3 which reinforces the bottlemouth and can also be used for the provision of a separate cord, wire orsome other sealing means for the stopper. The

Patented Oct. 25, 1966 inner wall 2' of the neck of the bottle is formedwith a substantially annular recess 4 which may have the crosssectionalshape shown in FIG. 2.

The stopper connected to the bottle is of flexible plastic materialwhich is deformable to a certain degree and comprises a lid part 5 whichin the closing position bears against the end wall of the neck 2. In theembodiment illustrated, a substantially oval-shaped stopper part 6projects into the bottle from the lid part 5 of the stopper. As will beapparent from FIG. 2, the stopper part 6 initially widens out from thelid 5 as far as the equatorial plane 6 and then tapers again as far thebottom edge 6" which is formed with notches.

The arrangement is such that when the stopper is in the bottle in theclosed position the equatorial plane 6" is situated in the region of theannular recess 4 in the neck of the bottle so that the stopper part 6engages the groove 4 with resilient deformation when the stopper is inthe closed position. In this arrangement excellent sealing of the bottleby the stopper i obtained principally at the top end 4 of the recess 4.

When the stopper is lifted out of the closed position in the bottle(FIG. 2) the part which is near the equatorial plane 6 must first beforced back resiliently, for example by being bent at the mouth of thebottle at the edge of the lid part 5. The stopper is thus released fromthe groove inside the bottle mouth from which it can readily bewithdrawn.

When the stopper is inserted into the bottle mouth, the engagement ofthe stopper part 6 in the recess 4 is clear- 1y perceptible when theclosed position is reached.

If the stoppers have a ring of sealing strips on the stopper part, andwhen the stopper is in the closed position one of the strips,advantageously the top strip, lies behind the end edge 4 of the recess4. To form the bottle glass with the recess for engagement of thestopper the bottle neck is advantageously heated to softening in whichstate the recess can readily be formed in the neck by impression with asuitable tool at the inner edge of the mouth.

I claim:

1. The combination of a glass bottle for the packing of tablets, pillsor the like, and a hollow stopper which is in sealing-tight relationshipin the bottle month, said stopper being made of flexible plastic, saidbottle having a neck, said neck having an annular recess in the interiorthereof and extending around said neck along a plane normal to the axisof said neck, said recess having a cylindrical outer portion therein,said stopper having a cap and a depending shank, said shank being ofsubstantially constant thickness and having a substantially circularcross-section, said shank having a first outwardly tapered portionconnected to a second portion of greater outward taper, said shankfurther including a third portion of large inward taper connected tosaid second portion, and a fourth portion of smaller inward taperconnected to said third portion, said second and third portionsextending into said annular recess engaging resiliently within saidrecess with elastic deformation without touching the cylindrical outerportion of the recess.

2. The combination according to claim 1 wherein the shank of saidstopper engages against the top end face of said recess.

3. The combination according to claim 1 wherein the lower surface ofsaid shank is provided with a plurality of notches therein.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,914,207 11/1959Moore 215-47 (Other references on following page) 0 r 3 4 UNITED STATESPATENTS 515,243 2/ 1955 Italy. 3,1 8,9 1 2 19 5 Yates 2 6 "554,079Italy; 3,169,654 2/1965 'Pollklesener 215-81 GEORGE O RALSTON PrimaryExaminer j 1038 232: 1 PATENTS I 5 JOSEPH R. LECLAIR, Examiner.

1 rance. 1,073,737 3/1954 France V. A. TOMPSON, D. F. NORTON,

812,036 8/1951 Germany Asslstzmt Examiners.

827,776 2/ 1960 Great Britain.

1. THE COMBINATION OF A GLASS BOTTLE FOR THE PACKING OF TABLETS, PILLSOR THE LIKE, AND A HOLLOW STOPPER WHICH IS IN SEALING-TIGHT RELATIONSHIPIN THE BOTTLE MOUTH, SAID STOPPER BEING MADE OF FLEXIBLE PLASTIC, SAIDBOTTLE HAVING A NECK, SAID NECK HAVING AN ANNULAR RECESS IN THE INTERIORTHEREOF AND EXTENDING AROUND SAID NECK ALONG A PLANE NORMAL TO THE AXISOF SAID NECK, SAID RECESS HAVING A CYLINDRICAL OUTER PORTION THEREIN,SAID STOPPER HAVING A CAP AND A DEPENDING SHANK, SAID SHANK BEING OFSUBSTANTIALLY CONSTANT THICKNESS AND HAVING SUBSTANTIALLY CIRCULARCROSS-SECTION, SAID SHANK HAVING A FIRST OUTWARDLY TAPERED PORTIONCONNECTED TO A SECOND PORTION OF GREATER OUTWARD TAPER, SAID SHANKFURTHER INCLUDING A THIRD PORITON OF LARGE INWARD TAPER CONNECTED TOSAID SECOND PORTION, AND A FOURTH PORTION OF SMALLER INWARD TAPERCONNECTED TO SAID THIRD PORTION, SAID SECOND SAID THIRD PORTIONSEXTENDING INTO SAID ANNULAR RECESS ENGAGING RESILIENTLY WITHIN SAIDRECESS ELASTIC DEFORMATION WITHOUT TOUCHING THE CYLINDRICAL OUTERPORTION OF THE RECESS.